


It Isn't The Spanish Inquisition (But It's Still a Surprise)

by Aj (aj2245)



Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: Breakups, Crushes, F/M, Female Friendship, High School
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 22:30:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9037538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aj2245/pseuds/Aj
Summary: This is not what Layla expected out of her Thursday lunch period.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [LJC](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LJC/gifts).



> Happy Yuletide to Tara! <3\. And Extra hugs to B for looking this over! SHE SAID IT MADE SENSE OKAY?

Something none of the teen magazines her mother subscribes her to or her dad’s romance novels cover is what happens when “Happily Ever After” drifts comfortably into “Amicable Break Ups With Movie Nights: Because True Love At The Age of 14 Is A Little Much To Ask For, Even For Superheroes.”

Layla’s a bit perturbed about that considering the sheer volume of both that exist in her home. And in the public and school libraries.

“I just don’t know what to do.” She admits to Magenta while quietly poking at her lunch. She’s a little annoyed that her friends have divided along gender lines for the week she and Will agreed to spend Apart. Not that she thought the guys were going to be much help in terms of emotions or practical advice, but she’s sixteen and just broken up with her first long-term boyfriend. Who’s still her best friend. Probably.

Also, Magenta’s general attitude towards everything is to roll her eyes until all of it goes away. Which she does now.

“Look. Layla.” Magenta tilts the straw of her drink at her and gives her the “No Bullshit, Why Am I Having To Deal With This” face. “You and Will broke up three days ago, but you’ve basically done nothing but be best friends for the last six months. No smoochies, no real hand-holding, or making the rest of us nauseated with your general existence. Yes, you just broke up, but you’re both over each other. You didn’t even cry and you cry at phone commercials!”

“I did too!” Layla frowns and shoots a quick look around to make sure no one was paying attention. Luckily, a Freshman had just set cafeteria door on fire. “When Mrs. Stronghold called to tell me I was still invited to Sunday dinners-“

“Oh, my god.” Magenta rolls her eyes again. Layla was starting to think having her eyes not fall out is a secondary super power. “You cried because Will’s _mom_ told you that you were still welcome to come over and have dinner. Not because you and Will can’t make out anymore. You are OVER HIM. You don’t need to _do_ anything.”

“But we went out for two years! He defeated a supervillain for me!”

“I know, I was there.” Magenta takes a long sip of her drink before setting it down. “But you’re both fine, and you feeling like you should feel some kind of way doesn’t mean that you should.”

Layla sighs and pokes at her lunch again. Magenta isn’t wrong. She does feel like she should feel something a lot more dramatic than a general relief that she doesn’t have to keep her Wednesdays free for date night anymore.

A loud thunk precedes the table dipping with a teenage boy’s weight as he throws himself on the bench next to Layla.

“Hi, Warren.” They both say without looking up. Warren dropping his tray and grunting is as much a part of their high school experience as Coach Boomer being dramatic.

“What are _you_ doing here?” Magenta asks their friend, resting her chin on her hand and smiling in a way that Layla knows is particularly smug. Which is weird. Especially when Warren glares back, extra hard.

She’s missing something.

“Like I’m going to sit with Stronghold being annoying when I have another option.” He continues to glare at Magenta while stabbing at the high-protein meatloaf on his tray. Which should absolutely horrify her but is something she’s come to a bit of peace with since that week he went vegetarian for her. Humans were, unfortunately, omnivores and the talking to she’d gotten from the school nurse about nutrition requirements of superheroes with high-metabolic demands is something she won’t soon forget. Or watching Warren pass out mid-Save The Citizen and almost get cut in half.

Magenta just raises an eyebrow and keeps smiling. “Mmmmm. Another option.”

“Whatever. Layla gets me in the divorce. This is not news.”

“Oh, Warren! That’s so sweet!” Layla throws herself sideways and gives her friend a giant hug. He, predictably, grunts and lets her hug him. She doesn’t have to look up to see that he’s frowning. She finally lets him go when he awkwardly pats her arm. Two years of friendship at work!

And she is absolutely _not_ thinking about the weird swooping in her stomach when she pulls back and finds her smiling at her. She is _not_.

Of course, that doesn’t last because Magenta picks that moment to clear her throat. It’s a really smug noise and when Layla looks at her, that weird smirk has gotten bigger.

“What? What’s that look?”

“Nothing.” Magenta takes her chin off her hand and inspects her nails before tossing her currently-purple braid over her shoulder. If Layla didn’t know her as well as she does, she’d think the whole thing is completely innocent.

“Magenta.”

Warren, ever helpful, just grunts angrily and goes back to his food.

“Whatever. Look, do you want to come over on tonight? My mom's making veggie lasagna, and we can work on our group project?"

Layla frowns and shoots a quick glance at Warren. "Sorry, no. Um, I'm going to a book signing with my dad tonight. It's his favorite author and we've been looking forward to it for the last month."

"No worries. Can you do Sunday? We still have to coordinate for next week." Magenta frowns briefly and hops up from her spot. "Cue me completely forgetting that I need to grab some stuff from the archives to get started. Let me know if Sunday or Monday work better for you in class!"

Layla isn't exactly sure how Magenta manages to move that quickly without super speed, but by the time she opens her mouth to assure her that Sunday's fine, her friend is across the room and through the slightly charred door.

"So. Did she actually need to go to the archive, or is she just trying to leave us alone because she still thinks we're in love?"

She appreciates that Warren has a.) finished chewing before he said anything and b.) is waiting to put a massive bite of cheesey potatoes in his mouth until he gets his words out.

"Well, we DO have to work on our project next week, so 50/50 either way. And I'm not sure she thinks we're in love, I think she thinks if she leaves us alone for long enough our mutual pining will overwhelm us and we'll make out in a closet somewhere."

Layla is proud of how wry her tone comes out. Snarky asides are a requirement when Warren is in your life. But there's a larger part of her that isn't so sure that Magenta is completely wrong.

Yeah, she's been in a long-term, monogamous relationship with her first crush for the last two years, but she's also a teenage girl with eyes and hormones. And an incredibly active internal life.

"Well, let me know when your pining overcomes you. I have the access code to the storage closet on 3 and all I have to do last period is wait for the bus."

If she hadn't been watching his face, Layla would just continue with the witty banter and quietly confirm their plans for him to come with her and her dad tonight. The ones they'd made two months ago because Mandarin-speaking super-heroes-in-training enjoy steampunk romance novels as much as 40-something dentists. Enough to not only get time off from their family restaurant, but also voluntarily agree to spend time with friends parents. One thing that could always be said about Warren was that he had layers.

But she is watching his face from the side, and there is way too much vulnerability and uncertainty for it to be a complete joke. Okay, maybe none of that would be apparent to anyone other than her or their friends, but again. Two years of friendship and a whole lot of time spent deciphering the mystery that is Warren Peace.

Although, if she'd missed this? Because he is serious. And he does have last period free.

Which. Holy smokes, Jestream.

Quickly as possible, she drops her eyes to her tray and shoves a big piece of broccoli in her mouth to give herself some time.

She is absolutely freaking out. Warren _likes_ her! Wants to make out with her in the storage closet! How long has he wanted to? Definitely not since the first dance they went to. And probably not through much of that first year. He'd dated Franco and then Malinda through sophomore year. She'd been dating Will!

Oh, great Mother Denali she is freaking out!

Beside her, Warren goes back to his meal. Not surprising given that she isn't saying anything. Why didn't she say anything!? And okay, sure there are a bunch more stories and Lifetime movies about love triangles, but it's not really a love triangle, is it?

Layla swallows, hard. Blinking a little at the reality of her life right now.

She and Will broke up. He was great and she loved him - still loves him! - but they're done. Magenta had been right. There hadn't been swoopy feelings or tingles or much other than best friends stuff for months.

And Warren...

Layla blinks. Yeah, there's swoopiness. And yeah, he's coming to a romance novel author signing with her and her dad. As a _friend_.

Wow, okay. This is absolutely not how she'd seen her day going.

She stuffs a larger bite of food in her mouth.

A quick glance at Warren lets her know that he's systematically destroying the rather large pile of food on his plate and will probably be fine while she considers this a little harder. Because no, he hadn't been _completely_ serious, but he hadn't _not_ not been serious.

But she and Will had just broken up _three days ago._. Dragging Warren into the storage closet _today_ would be a really terrible thing to do. And while a lot of her is suddenly lobbying hard and replaying a whole lot of her daydreams and actual dreams, and reminding her that with a few words, she could really find out if reality is better than the imagination, that's not really fair to anyone. Will, Warren, and even herself.

But, surprisingly and honestly, she wants to find out what kissing and touching and being _with_ Warren might be like.

Eventually.

Wow. Yeah. Okay.

"Warren?" Her voice is a little shaky. Annoyed, she puts on her "I Am Not Kidding, I Am A Force Of Actual Nature And Want You To Know I'm Serious" face and turns to face him directly.

And okay, she nearly loses it at the confused and minorly terrified look on his face when she meets his eyes.

"Yeah?" He asks, eyes squinted slightly, like he's expecting an attack. Which, okay, it _is_ Sky High and not entirely out of question.

She smiles then. The warm thump of her heart in amusement and affection reassuring her that what she is about to say is absolutely right and correct.

"Talk to me next month and maybe we can work something out." Layla keeps her eyes on him, serious and sure.

This time, he's the one freaking out. But something must show on her face because it's only a few seconds before she gets one of those rare, real Warren-smiles. The ones that never fail to warm her up from the toes to the top of her head. And yeah, okay, maybe that's why she's not freaking out as much as she should be.

Then again, her mother always said, "Should doesn't mean is, kiddo."

"Yeah. Okay. Next month."

She smiles all the way to her next class.

-fin-


End file.
